Combination chair and easel.



No. 689,234. Patented Dec. I7, I90l.

G. R. SCHWEIKERT &. W. E. HEINZ.

COMBINATION CHAIR AND EASEL.

(Application filed July 22, 1901.)

(No Modei.) 2 5haets-Sheet I.

WITNESSES: INVENTORS fit: amgm fiqmal'wve lmmp,

ATTORNEYS THE Mo'nms PETER: ca, PHUTOLITMO" wAsmNEmu. a 0:

" Patented Dec. l7, I901. a. n. SCHWEIKEBT & w. E. HEINZ.

COMBINATION CHAIR AND EASEL.

- (Application filed. July 22, 1901.1

2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

(No Model.)

' INVENTURS fineomgefimfienwmlmrmlb,

WlTNESSES W61 I BY-- ATTORNEYS UNITED STATES GEORGE R. SCHWEIKERT AND WILLIAM E. HEINZ, OF NEWARK, NEW

JERSEY.

COMBINATION CHAIR AND EASEL.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 689,234, dated December 17, 1901. I Application filed July 22, 1901. Serial No. 69,190. iNo model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, GEORGE R. SCHWEI- 1mm" and WILLIAM E. HEINZ, citizens of the United States, residing at Newark, in the county ofEssex and State of New Jersey, have invented certain new and useful;

Improvements in a Combination Chair and Easel; and we do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use-the same, reference being had to the accompanyingdrawings, and to letters of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

The objects of this invention are to provide an article of furniture in which are combined a picture-easel and a chair, to thus secure a piece of furniture especially adapted to crowded conditions, to enable the device to be employed for one or another of the said specific articles according to the needs of the occasion, and to obtain other advantages and results, some of which may be referred to hereinafter in connection with the description of the working parts.

The invention consists in the combination Y chair and easel herein described and in the views, Figure 1 is a side'elevation of our improved article of furniture in its extended form adapted to be used as a chair. Fig. 2 is a plan of the same, partly in section, on line at, Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a rear elevationoof the device when closed into that form in which it is used as an easel; and Fig. 4 is a central vertical section of the same on line y, Fig. 3.

In said drawings, a a indicate the side pieces of the rectangular open frame, which forms at its central portion a the back of the chair, the lower end providing legs a to engage the floor. Passing through the central opening of the frame a is a second frame I), which is pivoted at its opposite edges, as at b, to the side pieces of said frame. One end 12 of the frame I) may project forward from the frame a to form the seat of the chair, as. shown in Figs. 1 and 2, while on the opposite sides of.- the frame a the side pieces b extend rearwardly for a suitable distance and curve downwardly, as at Z), to form legs to engage the floor.

At a point on the frame a intermediate of its ends and at its outer side edges are pivoted arms 0, which project forward from said frame ain a position convenient for the sitters arms, and at the rear of the frame a extend backward, as at c, and are joined by a transverse strip d, which transverse strip is adapted to fall into notches c,cut in the upper edges of the side pieces 19 of the seat-frame b.

To collapse the chair and throw it into position to be used as an easel, we have provided at the under side of the seat-frame b a U- shaped lever f, pivoted at the extremities of its arms to the rear ends of the side pieces 17 of the seat-frame. The forward end of said U-shaped leverf forms a convenient handle beneath the front edge of the. seat 19 and be- .tween said handle and fulcrumal points the two arms of the lever each carry pins g,'which work upward in perforations through the side pieces 19 of the seat-frame to throw the crossbar (2 of the arms out of the notches e when desired.

At the lower part of the frame a,'forming the back of the chair, is fulcrumed afoot-lever h, which at its rear end provides a T-head h, adapted to slide in a T-shaped slot 0 in a supplemental piece 0, centrally and longitudinally disposed on the under side of the seatframe. 'When, therefore, the lever f is raised by the hand to throw the transverse bar (1 out of its notch and the foot of the operator is brought to bear upon the front end of the leverh, it will be evident that the rear end of the seat-frame b will be thrown upward and said seat-frame brought into approximately the same plane with the seat-frame a and lying in its central opening, as shown in Fig. 4. At the same time that the seat-frameb is thrown upwardly into its raised position a supporting brace or leg 2', pivoted at the rear side of the frame a, about half-way up, is drawn inwardly toward said frame at its lower end, so as to support the easel in its upright of the handle q.

position, as shown in Fig. 4. This drawing in of'thelower end of the brace t' is done by means of a chain or cord j, attached thereto at one end and at the other end fastened to a sliding piecej, which rides upon the foot-lever h, so that as said foot-lever assumes an upright position it draws upon the chain j, as will be understood upon reference to Figs. 1 and 4 especially. 7

Above the upholstered or otherwise suitably-formed back ct of the chair is a flexible picture or ornamental screen m, which passes through the frame a and is adapted to be coiled upon a roller m, supported at the rear of said frame. The lower end of the said picture is weighted, as at m and at its opposite edges has guides or feet 11, which slide in ways it, cut in the side pieces a of the frame aand which serve to hold the picture out from the upholstered portion a, and make it slide true. ficient to cause it to drop down into the position shown in Fig. 4: when the chair is collapsed, and when the chair is again opened or extended, as in Fig. 1, a cord 10, attached to the rear end of the seat-frame b and Wound around the roller m, serves to revolve said roller and roll up the picture thereon, as shown in said Fig. 1. Preferably a catch q is provided to engage the rear end of the seatframe 6 when in elevated position and hold the same in place, the said catch being operable from the front of the frame a by means Above the said catch 1) and picture-rollerm the frame a extends upward to provide at the front a hat-rack t and mirror r and at the back a rack s, in which papers or the like can be placed.

A pillow Z at the upper portion of the upholstered back a may serve to cover the slot or opening in the frame a, through which the picture m passes.

Having thus described the invention, what we claim as new is 1. A combined chair and picture-easel, comprising an upright frame a, and seat-frame b, pivotally connected, a brace 't', hinged to said upright frame, and flexible picture m, mounted on a roller, and said roller having bearings on said upright frame.

2. In a folding chair, a flexible picture mounted on the back of said chair and means for exposing and withdrawing said picture as the chair is folded or unfolded.

The Weight of the picture is suf-- 3. In a folding chair, a roller mounted on the back of said chair, a flexible picture or screen wound on said roller, and means for automatically winding and unwinding said picture or screen as the chair is unfolded or folded.

4. The combination with a folding chair having a transversely-slotted back of a flexible picture or screen mounted on a roller at the rear of said back and working through said slot, said roller, and a pillow or shield on the front of the chair-back and concealing the slot.

5. A combined chair and picture-easel, com= prising an upright frame a, and seat frame b, pivotally connected, a support or brace t', hinged to said upright frame, means for swinging said seat-frame 17, upon the frame a, and simultaneously changing the inclination of the brace i, a flexible picture mounted on a roller on said upright frame, said roller, and means connecting said roller to the seatframe to operate the roller as the seat-frame is swung.

6. The combination with a chair having a folding seat of a roller at the upper part of the back of the chair, a flexible picture or screen mounted on said roller and weighted at its free end,'and means for attaching said roller to the chair-scat whereby as said seat is unfolded the picture will be rolled.

7. The combination of the upright frame a, providing legs a at its lower end, and a support for a hat-rack, mirror, paper-rack or the like at its upper end and intermediate of said upper and lower ends forming a chair-back, a seat-frame b, and a brace 4., both pivoted to said upright frame, a roller on the upper part of the upright frame, a flexible picture mounted upon said roller and adapted to drop by gravity, levers for swinging said seatframe and brace with respect to the upright frame, and means extending from said swinging parts to the roller to wind up the picture as the parts are swung.

In testimony that we claim the foregoing we have hereunto set our hands this 1st day of July, 1901.

GEORGE R. SCHWEIKERT. WILLIAM E. HEINZ.

Witnesses:

CHARLES H. 'PELL, O. B. PrrNEY. 

